ROSEMEAD – The city wants to cut costs associated with graffiti and part of the plan is to hit the parents of youthful offenders where it hurts – in their pocketbooks.

The City Council unanimously approved the ordinance during its meeting Tuesday evening, beefing up its current municipal code and taking a tougher approach to curbing the activity. If children are identified as offenders, the fines will be tied to their parents.

“We’ve tried parent classes and services to get kids off the streets but it seems like it’s not working,” said Councilwoman Sandra Armenta, who serves as co-chair of the city’s Public Safety CONNECTIONS Forum, which recommended the ordinance.

Crews scour the city seven days a week to remove the graffiti, taking a bite out of Rosemead’s budget, officials said.

After cleanup, vandals manage to come back out and the tagging pops up the very next day.

The problem is especially visible near the intersection of Garvey Avenue and Delta Street, Armenta said.

“Any little piece they can think of; they graffiti on the concrete, the cement and even on the trees,” she said.

A middle school teacher in the Garvey School District, Armenta said some teens have ignored efforts to prevent graffiti because they didn’t mind performing community service.

Councilmembers hope that the new financial implications for parents will cut down on graffiti.

“We want parents to feel the impact,” said Councilwoman Polly Low, chair of the CONNECTIONS Forum.

Resident Juan Nunez says parents aren’t as tough on their kids these days, leading to their kids engaging in this behavior.

“We have a problem, but parents are not strict enough,” the 84-year-old said. “Maybe you don’t see (the graffiti) all the time, but it’s there.”

Several San Gabriel Valley cities have enacted similar ordinances in past years.

In 2008, the West Covina City Council passed an amendment that holds parents jointly responsible for minors’ fines related to graffiti offenses.

Los Angeles County can also recoup costs from parents stemming from a Board of Supervisors decision made in 2008. Diamond Bar, Pico Rivera and Azusa have done the same.

So far this year, Rosemead workers have removed graffiti from 36,000 square feet of property. The cost of materials to remove the scrawlings run $25,000 to $30,000 a year, according to Public Works Director Chris Marcarello. That doesn’t include personnel costs, he said.

Rosemead’s new ordinance also requires any offender to remove graffiti within 24 hours of notification. If the city puts in the work, offenders must reimburse the city for any costs incurred.

Those costs include court and attorney’s fees, repair and replacement of the defaced property and law enforcement costs associated with the identification of the person responsible for the crime, according to city documents.

The updated code also prohibits the sale and possession of aerosol spray paint cans and other graffiti sales to minors.

“By cleaning graffiti, it brings up the reputation of the city. That’s why this is so important,” Low said.

City officials encourage residents to report any graffiti they see within Rosemead online at www.cityofrosemead.org or by calling the 24-hour graffiti hotline at 626-569-2345.